The Federal government's Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a lawsuit against the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (NBPP), along with three members, in response to an election day 2008 action in which uniformed Panthers, one armed with a nightstick, patrolled outside a polling station in Philadelphia. The alleged intimidation stunt became nationally known both because of the racial aspects of the election and because independent "new media" disseminated "viral" video of the incident online. Prior to the advent of the internet and other new media technology such an incident would have been buried or spun by the "mainstream" media oligopoly.

According to a Department of Justice press release, the DOJ launched the suit in the United States District Court in Philadelphia on January 7, 2009 "under the Voting Rights Act [of 1965] against the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and three of its members alleging that the defendants intimidated voters and those aiding them during the Nov. 4, 2008, general election. The complaint, filed in the United States District Court in Philadelphia, alleges that, during the election, Minister King Samir Shabazz and Jerry Jackson were deployed at the entrance to a Philadelphia polling location wearing the uniform of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, and that Samir Shabazz repeatedly brandished a police-style baton weapon...According to the complaint, party Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz confirmed that the placement of Samir Shabazz and Jackson in Philadelphia was part of a nationwide effort to deploy New Black Panther Party members at polling locations on Election Day. The complaint alleges a violation of Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits intimidation, coercion or threats against "any person for voting or attempting to vote." The Department seeks an injunction preventing any future deployment of, or display of weapons by, New Black Panther Party members at the entrance to polling locations."

Malik Zulu Shabazz immediately reacted to the suit by distancing himself and the New Black Panther Party from the Philadelphia crew and their actions, with a "PUBLIC NOTICE":

"Philadelphia Chapter of the New Black Panther Party
is suspended from operations and is not recognized by the New Black Panther Party until further notice.

"The New Black Panther Party has never, and never will, condone or promote the carrying of nightsticks or any kind of weapon at any polling place. Such actions that were taken were purely the individual actions of Samir Shabazz and not in any way representative or connected to the New Black Panther Party. On that day November 4th, Samir Shabazz acted purely on his own will and in complete contradiction to the code and conduct of a member of our organization. We don't believe in what he did and did not tell him to do what he did, he moved on his own instructions.

"It is true that volunteers in the New Black Panther Party successfully served as poll watchers all over the country and helped get the Black vote out. We were incident free. We are intelligent enough to understand that a polling place is a sensitive site and all actions must be carried out in a civilized and lawful manner.

"Certainly no advice from the leadership of the New Black Panther Party was given to Samir Shabazz to do what he did, he acted on his own. This will be the New Black Panther Party's Only Statement on the matter."

The New Black Panther Party was led by the late vociferous black supremacist Khalid Abdul Muhammad, after he was kicked out of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam for being too radical, a feat in itself. Even by black racist standards Muhammad's views on whites were extreme with him openly advocating, for example, the genocide of whites and cheering "Black Rage" mass murderer Colin Ferguson, who slaughtered 5 whites and an Asian while hunting "white devils." Muhammad's statements about Jews, however, led to a concerted campaign against him, culminating in both a United States Senate vote of censure and a House Resolution in the House of Representatives condemning him. The organization of a man like Muhammad is a sitting target for all kinds of legal problems. Nonetheless, it must be said that if a white organization was accused of something like the Philadelphia polling station incident, its members would have been hit with far harsher charges.

America's racial crisis is complex and growing, and efforts like the suit against the New Black Panthers, who call for a racially "Molten America" against the hopes of white guilt Obamaniacs, may be part of an attempt to reassure the white public as America prepares for the rule of their "first black President." The ruling elite has been extremely concerned about carefully managing racial issues in general, with targeted action, legal and otherwise, to artificially construct an image of racial amity. A concern for some is that racial dissidents of all races could be facing disproportionate attention for larger political and social goals.